Rolfing Rhymes with Golfing! By Sharon Sklar, BFA, LMT, CAR I
n 1980, I sat in Dr. Groves’s kinesiol- ogy class at Central Connecticut State University, studying the science of human movement with all the jocks. We studied the torque and dynamics of golf swing, baseball swing, and various other accelerated sports actions. Little did I know how important that course would be to me over my forty-year career as Central Connecticut’s only Rolfer. “Only WHAT?” you might be asking…
What Is Rolfing?
The Rolf Method of Structural Integration, commonly known as Rolfing, is a unique form of healing bodywork. Over a ten-ses- sion series, layer by layer, piece by piece, we work on the connective tissue or soft tissue of the body. The goal is to bring the body back to neutral after all the injuries, accidents, and traumas of life. That fender- bender car accident you had when you were twenty and your back hasn’t been the same since. That fall while skiing, that slip on the icy driveway, that corrective knee surgery, or that hip replacement that never gave you back your full, secure range of motion—all because the body’s alignment and balance are out of whack.
Not at all like massage, Rolfing is direct hands-on manipulation that works to release the deep layers of myofascial adhesions and thickening that develop
Dr. Groves’ class was just one of
“I was out of options to have my back feeling good again and would have done pretty much anything to alleviate my back pain. I heard about Rolfing and decided to give it a try. Finally, I could play golf again—pain free!” —Jim Abbott, Higganum
after injuries, years of bad posture, or after surgery. At first the injured fascia secretes a gelatinous liquid that allows the body to continue to move. But over time, this liquid begins to dry out and acts like glue. It thickens in certain areas in response to the imbalances to secure the affected area. Layers of muscle begin to stick together, prohibiting proper range of motion and limiting flexibility.
Rolfing for Healing
The force created by the friction of this spe- cific hands-on pressure creates heat, which then begins to dissolve the gluing of the fascial layers and proper muscular motion is regained. Instead of groups of muscles stuck together and moving as a region, the body becomes free to now experience the specific muscular action of each muscle. The hips move, the waist moves, the shoulders move, the neck moves—all in a synchronized, natural rhythm. Graceful, easy motion is restored.
several prerequisite courses I completed before I gained entrance to the Dr. Ida Rolf Institute in Boulder, Colorado. In my quest to study this work that I was drawn to in my early twenties, I have never forgotten the importance of the foundation of movement I learned back then. Over the last forty years, I have used that knowledge every day, helping people re-establish their own body freedom.
I have had a series of golfers over the
years who have come to me to get Rolfed, received great results, told their friends and then they told their friends. Throughout the spring and summer I see these guys who love the game, live for the game and feel sad when the late fall arrives. One of them, Rob Josephson of Berlin, came to see me back in 2013. He comes in once or twice a year for a “tune-up.” Here’s what Rob had to say:
“After over 35 years of playing golf and basketball and working jobs that required either sitting too long or standing too long, my back was wearing out. I had soreness, tightness, pain, and discomfort. I tried several remedies, but none of them worked until a West Coast friend told me about Rolfing.
Thankfully, that led me to Sharon Sklar. She told me about the Rolfing way of
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